Abstract
Fakahatchee Strand is a diverse system made up of prairies, marshes, mangrove swamps, ponds, hammocks, and a central cypress strand. Fakahatchee, however, is far from pristine. Disturbances including drought, hurricanes, road construction, drainage canals, logging, and subsequent drought, hurricanes, road constructions drainage canals, logging, and subsequent fire have affected the hydrology and plant communities of Fakahatchee. In 1989, Whitley (1991) studied the distribution of the woody plant communities of Fakahatchee Strand based on hydrology, fire, and logging history. The current study re-examined those plant communities to quantify successional changes since the original study. This was accomplished through a comparison of 1989/2008 species basal areas and tree ring analysis of cores from cypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.) and pop ash (Fraxinus caroliniana Mill.) trees. Cypress basal area has increased while red maple (Acer rubrum L.) and laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia Michx.) basal areas have decreased. Cluster analysis of plant species basal areas showed that although the species composition of the study sites has undergone some changes, the types of plant communities have not. Crossdating of cypress cores was unsuccessful; however, crossdating of pop ash cores resulted in a 69 year chronology. Regression analysis resulted in a significant positive correlation between the chronology and mean annual water levels in the immediate area. These data indicate that Fakahatchee’s plant communities are recovering to pre-logging compositions and that the pop ash trees within the Strand are responding to the water levels around them, potentially serving as indicators of the effects of hydrologic restoration.